Hieam f



(N o Model.)

I-I. 1:'. GAINES.

MAIL BAG.

@44mm/tov NITED STATES y PATENT Ormea.

HIRAM 1r. Grimes, or RoUsEs POINT, NEWYORK.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,790, dated December 13, 1887.

Application filed July 12, 1887. Serial No. 244,087. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM F. GAINEs, a eitizenof the United States, residing at Rouses Point, in the county of Clinton and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags; and I do deelare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked Jhereon, which form a part of this specificaion.

My invention relates to improvements in mailbags; and it consists of the peculiar eonstruction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a mail-bag of that class which employs a sliding locking-strap that-engages staples on the flap to lock the latter in place, with means for preventing opening of the flap should one end of the sliding strap b'e cut, and thereby .effectually prevent access to the bag, except by unlocking the lock in the usual manner.

A further object of my invention is to improve the mail-bag in minor details of'ccnstruction with a view to increasing the strength and durability thereof and of rendering the locking device certain and positive in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures l and 2 are elevations taken from opposite sides of a mail-bag embodying myinvention. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line xx of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a similar section showing one end of the sliding locking-strap folded around the bag and having its staple passed through the strap itself and the bag.- Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the sliding locking-strap. e

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates an ordinary mail-bag, to the open end or mouth of which are secured one or more re-enforcing strips, B, of a single thickness ot leather. These strips may be made of a single piece of leathertand extend continuously around the mouth of the bag, or in two separate pieces, the endsof which terminate at the sides or fold of the bag. The upper edge of the .re-enforcing strip or strips Blie flush with the corresponding edges of the bag, and it is secured thereto by rivets, as is usual.

C is a iiap,whieh is permanently secured at one edge to one side of the mouth of the bag, so as to leave the-opposite edge thereof free to fold. over the bag. A double row ot' parallel rivets, o, are passed through the flap and the bag, as shown, the rivets of one row being arranged a short distance from those ofthe other row to provide a pocket, C', between the,

rivets, in which pocket a sliding locking-strap, D, is housed.

That part of the flap O which is secured to the bag is arranged over one of the re-enforcing-strips B, and said flap is provided at each end with a tongue, c,which is formed integral with the flap and folded over the upper part of the vertical edge of the bag and the re-en forcing-strip B, which is secured to the opposite side of the bag Vto the side which the flap is permanently connected to, the free edges of the tongues being united to the bag and one of the re-enforcing-strips by rivets c2.

The re-enforcing stripsB serve to brace and strengthen the upper edges ofthe bag, and the tongues of the foldable flap completely inclose the ends of the re-enforcing strips and. upper edges of the bag, at the sides of the latter, to

further strengthen and materially increase the' durability of the bag.

The iiap C is further provided with a series of two or more staples, e, ofthe ordinary pattern, which are adapted to pass through aligned slots or openings e', formed in the bag and the re-enforcing strips B thereof, these staples being completely housed and concealed,v when the flap is closed, within the pocket C', formed in the iiap C, by the double row'of rivets.

It will be noted that the pocket is arranged on the same side of the bag as that to which the flap is united, and that I form the pocket from the same piece of material which forms the ap, and thereby dispense with a separate piece of leather, which eifeetsan economy in the manufacture of the bag. That part of the flap which is united to the bag is made without slots and imperforate, with the .ex-

ception of a single slot, f, near one end thereof, for a purpose hereinafter specified, so that the sliding strap and the staples on the flap are completely housed within the pocket, and thereby concealed from view.

The sliding locking-strap D is provided with a series of equidistant metallic plates,G, which are arranged out of contact with one another and firmly secured to the strap, which is made of pliable material-as leather-so that the strap can flex freely and accommodate itself to the movements of the bag. This pliable strap D is provided at equidistant points with a series of longitudinal slots, g g', the slots of each series being arranged a short distance from and parallel with each other, and connected at one end by a short transverse slot,

g2, so as to provide openings therein which are approximately E-shaped. The metallic uny-ielding plates G are likewise Eshaped, and they are affixed to the pliable strap, so that the longer horizontal arms fit on opposite sides of the longitudinal slotsin the strap, while the shorter middle arm fits over the tongue g3, which is formed by cutting the slots in the leather, as described. rlhe metallic plates are preferably formed of a suitable metal which will readily bend, and the outer end of the shorter arm, h, is bent over the corresponding end of the pliable tongue of the strap to stiffen the said tongue and insure the proper action of the same in entering the staple of the flap C.

I am aware that' it is not new, broadly, to provide a locking-strap with' pliable lockingtongues and a series of unyielding plates, each having an arm which bears or impinges on one side of the tongue. Ihave found by practical experience that this pliable tongue is liable to fold upon itself, or the end thereof is liable to catch in the pocket or against the edge of one of the legs of the staple, so that the strap will not work with ease and freedom; but in my device, with the end of the metallic arm bent over and inclosing the end of the pliable tongue and beveled, as shown, the tongue is eifectually prevented from losing its rigidity, and will enter the staple with great ease and precision.

The endsof the sliding locking-strap are extended or projected through suitable openings in the ends of the pocket, and to oneoend of this strap is secured a ring, t', which serves asa handle in pulling the strap in one direction to withdraw the tongues thereof from the staples and to limit the movement of the strap in the reverse direction. The opposite end of the strap is, when it is adjusted to move the tongues into the staples, of such a length that it can be folded around one of the vertical sides of the bag, and this end of the strap has a staple, I, permanently secured thereto. This staple is adapted to pass through slots j j', formed in one side of thebag andthe strap, respectively, and through the slot f in the opposite side of the bag, these slots fj j coinciding when the strap D is moved to cause the tongues t-hereof to enter the staples, and the flap is folded to close the open mouthl of the bag. A lock, K, is engaged with the staple I after it has been passed through the bag, its flap, and the locking-strap, whereby the'flap cannot be under any circumstances opened Without the proper key for the lock. By folding the strap upon itself and around the bag, and passing a staple on the folded end of the strap through the strap itself and the bag, the flap cannot be opened without first detaching Athe lock from the staple, even though the folded end of the strap be' cut or severed, as the strap cannot be pulled endwise to withdraw the tongues from the staples, because the staple I passes through the strap, and it cannot become detached from the lock.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the draw ings.

One of the most important advantages attained by the use of my invention is the ease and rapidity of manipulation of the locking devices, by which the bag can be locked and unlocked in a moments time, which is highly desirable in delivering and assorting mail to numerous stations where the bag is opened and closed a number of times in transit.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-bag having a foldable flap to close the mouth thereof and provided with staples to pass through slots in the bag, and a slotted locking-strap having means to engage the staples when the latter are passed through the slots inv the strap, one end of the strap having a staple, I, which passes through slots in the bag and the strap itself and is adapted to receive the lock, whereby the strap is'prevented from endwise movement should the end thereof having the. staple be severed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A mail-bag having a flap secured at one of its edges thereto by means substantially as described and forming a pocket, staples se cured to the flap at or near its free edge, and a sliding strap housed within the pocket formed by the flap and having tongues to enter the staples, one end of the sliding strap being extended beyond the pocket and having a staple fixed thereto which passes through slots in the bag and the strap itself, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a mail-bag, a flap secured at one edge by a double rowr of parallel rivets, which are arranged a short distance from each other, and thereby form a pocket between the flap and bag, staples secured to the flap, and a sliding locking-strap housed in the pocket and hav` ing tongues which enter the staples, said strap having near one end a slot which aligns with corresponding slots in the bag when the strap is adjusted to move the tongues into the staples, and a staple fixed to an extension of the sliding strap and adapted to pass through the IOO IIO

aligned slots in the bag and strap when the tongues being united directly to the bag, snb- IcA latter is folded around the bag, substantially stantally as described.

as described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 4. A mail-bag having re-enforcing strips sepresence of two Witnesses. cured to its upper edges and a flap secured over HIRAM F GAINES- one of the re'enforcing strips to the bag and having tongues at its side edges which fold Witnesses:

around the vertical edges of the bag and the Jos. R. EDsON, 1re-enforcing strips, the free edges of the said H. T. BERBUEIARD.l 

